Anyone have tips or suggestions on how to ask for access to systems/data sources when you don't exactly know what you need? Initial data foraging can be rough! I find that most DBA's don't want to let new people into their systems without God & Creation signing off on the request first.

Have you ever been asked to assist colleagues in a project that involves requesting access to systems or data that you don't normally use and you're not exactly sure what information you "need" but you think this new data holds the key?

Anyone have tips on initiating those types of requests without everyone looking at you like you just asked them to give you their first-born child?!?!